Kanye and Roger: Tale of two figures at the center of antisemitism furor

Kanye West has no issue filling concert venues. Getting into the venues ... is another matter.

Roger Waters of Pink Floyd fame has far fewer problems. Yet both promote views that many deem deeply antisemitic. Waters denies the charges, while West recently apologized for his foul rhetoric.

Their disparate careers speak volumes about the curious state of free speech in Western culture. The only consistent part is the inconsistency.

West is attempting to rebuild a career devastated by his openly antisemitic screeds. The Grammy-winning rapper/producer/fashion template has struggled with mental illness for some time. That manifested itself in curious ways, initially, like his brazen attempt to steal the limelight from Taylor Swift during the 2009 VMAs gala. 

Swift came to the stage to accept the awards for Best Female Video when West joined her, claiming Beyonce deserved the honor. He later embraced and retracted his endorsement of President Donald Trump, plotted his own presidential run and spoke candidly about being bipolar.

His quixotic persona took a dark turn in 2022 when he shared this disturbing message on social media:

“I’m a bit sleepy tonight but when I wake up I’m going death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE. The funny thing is I actually can’t be Anti Semitic because black people are actually Jew also You guys have toyed with me and tried to black ball anyone whoever opposes your agenda.”

The post was the start of several openly antisemitic outbursts from the musician, which collectively cost him endorsement deals with Addias, Apple Music, Peloton and Skechers.

Last year, he began selling swastika T-shirts on his website, and he released a track dubbed “Heil Hitler,” praising one of history’s greatest monsters.

More recently, West has resumed touring while attempting to make amends for his toxic behavior. In January, West, or Ye, bought a full-page ad in the Wall Street Journal to apologize for his comments.

“I am not a Nazi or an antisemite. I love Jewish people,” the message read.

“One of the difficult aspects of having bipolar type-1 are the disconnected moments – many of which I still cannot recall – that led to poor judgment and reckless behavior that oftentimes feels like an out-of-body-experience ... I regret and am deeply mortified by my actions in that state, and am committed to accountability, treatment, and meaningful change. It does not excuse what I did though.”

The apology suggested a sincere attempt by a deeply troubled soul to move past his ghoulish behavior, but it didn't appear to change the hearts and minds of many.

Some parties, mostly in Europe, aren’t ready to forgive or forget. 

West has suffered concert cancellations in France, Switzerland, Poland and England. An upcoming gig in Italy is up next, and several groups are mobilizing to block his headlining gig at the Hellwat Festival at the RCF Arena in Reggio Emilia.

The cancellations happen either through political officials or, in places like England, the powers that be refuse to grant the musician a visa. Last year, Australian officials canceled his visa.

More cancellations are likely. The Associated Press reported that French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez would embrace “all possibilities” to block any West concert.

Waters, the co-founder of Pink Floyd and a road warrior at the age of 82, has faced far fewer cancellations in recent years for his extreme views dating back to at least 2010.

They include not condemning the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel that killed 1,200 mostly Jewish people, comparing Israelis to Nazis and floating pig balloons in concerts emblazoned with the Star of David. It’s been the through line to his creative career for some time, and even ex-bandmate David Gilmour and wife Polly Samson have lashed out at him for his views.

Norbert Stachel, a former saxophonist for Pink Floyd, the progressive rock band from in England in the mid-1960s, claimed in the documentary “The Dark Side of Roger Waters” that he heard Waters once demand a restaurant service “take away the Jew food” and insult his grandmother, who had perished in World War II concentration camps.

Waters has repeatedly denied he’s antisemitic, saying his critiques are aimed at the state of Israel, not its citizens.

Yet he’s faced few impediments to his chronic touring schedule. One exception? A 2023 concert appearance in Frankfurt, Germany got shelved due to Waters’ allegedly bigoted views.

Polish officials shelved a Waters tour appearance at a city-owned venue for his views on the Ukraine war, with the musician taking Russia’s side in the conflict and blaming both NATO and Ukraine.

Otherwise, he’s been touring on and off for several years, drawing protesters and excitable headlines along the way, but he hasn’t faced the kind of visa concerns or West-like cancellations.

One common denominator between the outspoken stars? Neither has attracted a sizable free speech defense from Hollywood or the creative community at large.